The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Teachers under the Uganda National Teachers Union-UNATU have expressed a change of mind in pressing for salary enhancement after touring Namanve Industrial Park on the orders of President Yoweri Museveni.
President Museveni directed the teachers’ Union to tour the industrial Park located in Kira Municipality, Wakiso district to enable them appreciate government priorities and the reason the government has not been able to enhance teachers salaries.
According to the president, the government is focused on industrializing the country to create more jobs for Ugandans, a target which requires a lot of investment in water, electricity and roads among others.
On Monday, Uganda Investment Authority guided the leaders of the teachers’ union under the leadership of their General Secretary Filbert Baguma, to tour the industrial park. After the tour, Baguma told journalists that they agree with government that their salary enhancement be stayed for more of such developments to come to light.
Other members of the Union also said they developed a change of mindset during the visit of the Industrial park. Shaban Wenkya, the Chairperson UNATU in Butambala District says he insists that science teachers would be paid more money after visiting the industry.
Nyokatre Candia Richard, the Chairperson UNATU Arua district says the president’s argument for stay of salary enhancement now holds a lot of sense after visiting the steel rolling factory.
UNATU had called for nationwide protests starting Monday 27, 2019 to compel government to enhance teacher’s salaries to ensure that the least paid teacher earns a monthly wage of 900,000 Shillings.
This came after the government back-tracked on its earlier agreement of enhancing the teacher’s salaries in a phased manner and only provided 49 billion Shillings in the 2019/2020 financial year budget out of the total 251 billion Shillings required to enhance the teacher’s pay.
However, after the Sunday meeting with President Museveni, the teachers’ union called off a planned strike by a school term to allow government find and allocate more money for the enhancement.
*****
URN
